


Skin and Salt

by hanktalkin



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Beaches, Gen, Sea of Simulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2019-01-09 01:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12266250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanktalkin/pseuds/hanktalkin
Summary: Deep in the memory unit, Epsilon isn't the only one who gets his body back.





	Skin and Salt

Tex felt sand crunch in the seams of her armor, the wet grains grinding together every time she shifted her cross-legged position. He’d made her someplace with a beach this time. He was good for something at least.

She stuck a glove in the sand, pulling out a palmful that held its shape until she wiggled her fingers and dispersed it. Through the filters of her helmet, she could just make out the taste of salt.

It was all so _real_.

She started with her gauntlets. Then her helmet, then her breastplate, discarding piece by piece until there was a trail of black armor leading down the shore into the ocean. Before she could stop herself she was standing knee deep in the waves, wearing nothing but her undersuit and staring down at her hands.

_Her hands_. Real hands with skin and cuticles and fingerprints that turned white where she pressed them together. How long had it been since she’d had skin? The truthful answer was never but the correct answer was _too goddamn long_. She thought of stabbing a knife through one, just to see if it would bleed, but not even she would go that far for the sake of irony.

A hand reached behind her head to touch a ponytail. Of course. She undid it and let the blonde hair fall in damp waves against the side of her face.

Church was getting better. Each time he improved his simulation, and this time he’d finally perfected giving an AI her body back. She was almost impressed.

He’d expect her to come to him soon. He wasn’t searching anymore, just waiting. Instead he let her take her time, laying the one place she’d come looking for when she was ready, drawing her out with the best bait he had.

Well. Waiting a little longer wouldn’t kill him. She tied up her hair and waded into the sea.


End file.
